


Sensory Overload

by Multifandom_damnation



Category: The Gifted (TV 2017)
Genre: Best Friends, Families of Choice, Gen, Minor Lorna Dane/Marcos Diaz, Mutant Powers, Pre-Season/Series 01, Sensitivity to Sound, Short & Sweet, Team as Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-05
Updated: 2020-04-05
Packaged: 2021-02-28 21:15:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,774
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23493796
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Multifandom_damnation/pseuds/Multifandom_damnation
Summary: Marcos doesn't think about how superhearing can be a curse as well as a blessing until the station is packed full of mutants and little kids to boot, and John is hiding away somewhere, the heartbeats of every new mutant almost too much to bear.
Relationships: Marcos Diaz & John Proudstar
Kudos: 13





	Sensory Overload

**Author's Note:**

> So, I love the Gifted? I haven't seen a favourite episode, but I am obsessed, and I feel personally attacked that they cancelled the show after 2 seasons. I also think I may have a favourite. I also may have... 5 wips atm. Anyway, I'm obsessed with the Xmen, and I really hope that you like this because it was fun and I like how it turned out xx

Marcos had been searching for John for most of the morning and a good portion of the afternoon, and still wasn't any closer to finding him. They had brought a great few mutants back to the station, a vast majority of them little kids and children under the age of 12, confused and scared of being brought to this unknown place by strangers who claimed to be friendly mutants. Lorna had spent most of the day taking care of them, trying to keep them calm and comfortable at this strange time in their lives with the help of some of the other older mutants that they had picked up, but it was slow going.

It wasn’t that Marcos needed John for anything, but being the leader of the Mutant Underground and all, he thought it would be polite of him to come out and introduce himself, let the younger kids know that it was going to be alright and they were going to be taken care of. But so far, John hadn’t been seen at all since they arrived at the station, and the whole drive back, he’d had this look on his face like he had tasted something unpleasant, or he was being forced to stare into the sun with binoculars. Marcos didn’t understand it. They were just kids, fellow mutants. He hadn’t known that John had a problem with kids.

“Hey, babe?” He asked Lorna when he passed her, brushing his fingers across her shoulder to get her attention from where she was handing out protein bars to the young kids. “Do you know where John is? I’ve been searching everywhere and haven’t managed to find him yet. I’m not sure if I should be annoyed or worried.”

Frowning, Lorna stood up and wiped her hands on her pants, the kids occupying themselves by comparing the flavour of their snacks. “No, I haven’t seen him since we parked the vans. He seemed off, though. Like something was wrong.”

“Yeah, I’m getting that too,” Marcos said, wrapping an arm around her. “I didn’t think he hated kids so much.”

“I have a feeling like that’s not the problem here,” Lorna replied as she crossed her arms and leant her head on his shoulder. “You should go find him. You’re his best friend. If there really is something wrong with him, he’ll be more likely to tell you than me.”

“And you should get back to work,” he sighed, kissing her on the head. “But later, when we’ve got free time…”

Scoffing, Lorna pushed him away and went back to the kids, waving him away. He couldn’t help but laugh as she looked at him over her shoulder and flicked him the finger. They’d talk later when everyone was settled and the world had quieted down a little bit. But right now, they were too busy for anything other than an idle chat.

Eventually, Marcos spotted him. Nothing but one leg dangling over the edge of a rounded alcove, somewhere they had intended to fix long ago and had never really gotten around to doing, and Marcos had to drag a large box over to even reach it.

John was lying inside, his eyes closed, his hands folded over his chest. “Oi,” Marcos said as he regained his balance on the lid of the box. It was unstable, and he was pretty high up. The last thing he needed was to fall and add himself to the long list of wounded. “What the hell are you doing all the way up here? I’ve been looking for you for ages.”

“Did you need me for something?” John said, voice dull. He hadn’t opened his eyes, even though Marcos was positive that he had heard him coming even before he dragged the box under the alcove. His eyebrows were pulled together in a wince. 

“Uh, no, not really, but it’d be nice of you to come down here and greet the new arrivals,” Marcos said. He was a little worried. This… this was new. “Are you alright? I know that kids can be a handful at times, but I didn’t think you were the kind of guy to go out of his way to avoid them like this. I mean, there’s not even that many there. You probably don’t even have to talk to any if you don’t want to, just introduce yourself to the adults.”

Tilting his head slightly, John opened a single eye to look incredulously at Marco, but the action was strained, and it looked like it caused him great pain. “What are you talking about? I’ve got nothing against those kids.”

“Then why are you hiding away in here like you’re avoiding everyone?” Marcos probably hadn’t been so confused in his whole life. He felt like he was speaking in pig Latin, and that the whole conversation was just going in circles. “You do realize that… that’s what you’re doing, right?”

Groaning, John reached his hands up and ran them heavily down his face. “Marcos, really, it’s nothing like that. I mean, I am, but… I don’t know how to explain it. It’s just… I’m not used to having so many people at the station, especially not kids. I’m just struggling with it all, I suppose.”

“You haven’t spoken to anyone since we got back,” Marco’s said, somewhat sceptically as he stood like an idiot on top of a box, hanging desperately onto the ledge of this little alcove. “What have you got to be struggling with?”

Sighing, John still refused to open his eyes and look at him. “Look, Marcos, I wouldn’t expect you to understand, but with my powers it’s… it’s all just too _loud_. There are too many heartbeats. Too many footsteps. Too many voices. There are just so many things to see and looking at all of them give me a headache. Normally, it’s not too bad, but we’ve taken in such an influx of new people today… it’s a lot, you know?”

Marco blinked. In fact, if he hadn’t been holding onto the stone ledge, he would have topped backward off the box and fallen on his face like an idiot in front of the whole station. “Wait, really? Why didn’t you say something?”

“Because I was hoping it would pass without either you or Lorna making a big deal about it,” John muttered. “But it’s fine- I’ll come down now. I’ll survive.”

“No, John, sit back down,” Marcos actually placed a hand on John’s chest and pushed him back down when he tried to heave himself to his elbows. “I’m not asking you to go anywhere. I just wanted to know what was wrong so I didn’t have to worry.”

“I should be being productive,” John grumbled. “Instead of lying in here like-”

“Don’t you dare finish that sentence,” Marcos warned. “It’s better if you stay here, anyway. Our leader suffering from... whatever _this_ is in the middle of a meeting isn’t going to be good for anyone. Lorna will handle it. It’s fine.”

John looked at him strangely, as if surprised at what he was hearing. “You’re really alright with this? Me, making you two do all the work?”

“Nah, man, relax,” Marcos scoffed and only took his hand off John’s chest when he thought it was safe. “I understand. I’d never thought about your mutation being anything other than a blessing, to be honest. I never… I never thought that super-hearing meant hearing _everything_ , you know? Like your tracking. You decide when to track, right? It’s not an on-going thing.”

“What do you think is happening when I randomly stand up in the middle of a conversation and warn you that someones coming?” John asked.

“I don’t know. I mean, I know that’s part of your super-hearing, but I thought it was just triggered by something. A combination of your different abilities working together. Like how I can choose to either light up my palms or shoot lasers from my fingertips,” Now that Marcos mentioned it, he felt a little stupid, but there was no time to worry about that now. “But I get it. With everything you must hear on a daily basis, like heartbeats and footsteps, it’s no wonder than so many people is too much. You don’t need to explain yourself. What you do need to do is sit right here and don’t move until your feeling better, alright?”

Eyebrow raised, John looked Marco up and down. “Even if I have to stay here for the rest of the day?”

“Don’t look at me, I won’t be doing anything. Lorna will be handling it all,” Marcos joked, and he was glad to see John crack a smile. “But yeah, take your time. Rest up. We need you, and you’re no use to us freaking out about heartbeats and footsteps and heavy breathing.”

John chuckled. “Thanks, Marcos. You guys will be fine without me?”

“Stop fretting,” Marcos rolled his eyes. “It’ll only be for a day. I think we can last a few hours without burning our breaking something.”

As Marcos began to make his way down the box, his little perch against the wall, John called out, “Do you need some help getting down from there?”

“Shut up,”

It was nice to hear him laugh.

He made it to the ground, in one piece thankfully, and left the box where it was in favour of immediately going in search for Lorna, who he found standing at the top of the stairs, her hands crossed over her chest, as she looked out over all the mutants taking refuge in the station like a knight standing at attention. “Did you find him?” she asked when he announced his presence by wrapping his arms around her again. 

“Yeah,” Marcos hummed into her neck. “He’s taking a temporary social hiatus. Too much sound for him with all the new mutants.”

“Ah,” Lorna said like it should have been obvious. “Sensory overload? That hasn’t happened for a long time. I actually sort of forgot that it still happened. I’ll go talk to him later.”

“Until he’s ready to face the world again, he’s put you in charge,” Marcos said. “Hope you don’t let all the power go to your head.”

“Me? Never,” Lorna laughed. “But it does mean that we’ll be working for a lot longer. I guess our late-night conversation is gonna have to wait a little while.”

Marcos laughed and rested his chin on her head. He felt the way Lorna chuckled and hummed against him. He felt her lean her full weight against him, knowing he would catch her. “Don’t worry, I’m patient.”


End file.
